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Douglas Self

Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2018 7:29 pm
by karatestu
Recently i have been reading Doug Self's Amplifier design book that i bought off some dude on AT.. Now my head is full of all kinds of shite.

Mr self seems to advocate ridding amplifiers of all distortion. Its all about the measurements for this guy. Dont know if i have ever heard any of his work but some of the guys on diyaudio.com say his "blameless" amp is the most boring sounding amp in the world.

Mr self doesnt like subjectivism either. Well i dont agree with him. Been reading lots of bollocks about how zobel network and inductor are essential. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Douglas Self

Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2018 8:22 pm
by Dr Bunsen Honeydew
Just another arse, who has made himself into a famous arse.

Re: Douglas Self

Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2018 8:53 pm
by karatestu
Dr Bunsen Honeydew wrote: Fri Sep 21, 2018 8:22 pm Just another arse, who has made himself into a famous arse.
I like straight to the point answers. :grin:

Re: Douglas Self

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 8:37 am
by _D_S_J_R_
All bullshit probably. After something that happened to me on the Harbeth forum years ago, I have no time for Mr Self at all as he was patently incorrect on something I won't bore you lot with, despite his technical articles.

Stu, even the best and most technical designers have an agenda of sorts, so never take *everything* they say at purely face value. At one time, the designers at Meridian were regarded as seriously good, but the continual effin' bodging of products during their production lives, meant you never quite knew what you were getting in the sample purchased and demo stock needed regular rotating - NOT a good move imo. Loads of other shit too from other so-called designers...

Re: Douglas Self

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 9:23 am
by karatestu
Hi Dave.

Yes I agree. I am having to sift through the book and take some of it with a pinch of salt. The art is knowing which bits to ignore. Some is over my head but I find that as my learning develops I understand more and more of it with each read. It is good at explaining the different architectures and some other stuff. I will continue to read it with an open mind and work out for myself what the hidden agendas are.

Re: Douglas Self

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 9:45 am
by Dr Bunsen Honeydew
You are turning to the dark side, it wont help you in your aim,it will just make you *think* you know something, where as in reality you are training to be yet another arse to pollute the forums. As soon as someone on a forum quotes Self I know he is an arse and ignore him, there is only your music, your ears, your experience.

Re: Douglas Self

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 10:10 am
by karatestu
Right, off to burn the book :grin:

I would like to know more about audio electronics as I am interested. Don't know how else to do it. Find another book ? Horowitz and Hill.
Definitely dont want to be another arse

Re: Douglas Self

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 12:37 pm
by Dr Bunsen Honeydew
Sorry I have a hobby horse with these people do what you want, as long as you don't think what you are being *told* gives you better music, it doesn't.

Re: Douglas Self

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 2:15 pm
by karatestu
Noted, thanks.

All I want to do is to gain a better understanding of how electronics work. Maybe I should approach it from a general perspective and not from an audio one. Then I wont get polluted by the opinion of the arses.

It would be nice to play around designing and building my own amplifier circuit one day even if it turned out crap. I am certainly in the musical and less is more camp now, that is what I want.

Have a good show :guiness;

Re: Douglas Self

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 6:53 pm
by keepitsimplestupid
I always found Self designs like SME decks, impressively well engineered, but ultimately lacking any excitement.

I don't know, maybe the recording process does actually rob the music of all the excitement and it's actually just the distortions of playback systems that give it back some life. I've heard kit with mega specs that I like and kit with poor numbers that I like. So maybe there is just no correlation between numbers and perceived sound quality once you get beyond adequate accuracy.

Like all designers, he's got a story and he's selling it.